• Timeline

• Digital Archives

Vice-President (Facilities and Operations)

During the 1950s and 1960s, the physical environment of the campus began to develop rapidly and substantially. To denote the importance that the Board of Governors placed on this situation, the office of the Vice-President (Campus Planning and Development) was created in 1967, to oversee and control all processes relating to buildings. Campus Planning had existed as a function of the President's office until this time.

The Vice-President was responsible to the President for:

• forecasting of space needs within an approved academic plan and the development and implementation of a long-range building program
• planning of all physical construction on the campus and on all University-owned property, including the direction of planning and project architects and consultants
• developing an annual building program, including renovations, alterations, land purchase, and utilities
• property acquisition
• preparation of annual budget estimates for buildings, property, and capital equipment
• recommendations to the Board Building Committee on all new construction matters and on capital budget estimates

The Vice-President was:

• chair of the Campus Development Committee and the Space Allocation and Alterations Committee
• administration representative to the Board Building Committee
• responsible for the activities of the Campus Development Office
• liaison person with external bodies on matters concerning construction and building programs.

The name of the office was changed twice, once to Planning and Development, from 1970 to 1980, and then to Facilities and Services from 1980 to 1983. In 1983, on the retirement of Vice-President Ronald E. Phillips, the office was changed to that of Associate Vice-President (Facilities), reporting to the Vice-President (Administration). The offices of Physical Plant, Planning and Development, and Technical Services continued to report to the new Associate Vice-President (Facilities).

In 2001, the Board of Governors approved the restructuring of the Vice-President (Finance and Administration) portfolio to better reflect its size and complexity. As a result, the facilities and operations portion of the portfolio was split into its own unit, the Vice-President (Facilities and Operations). By creating the new Vice-President (Facilities and Operations) position, the University recognizes the need for dedicated strategic planning and leadership as the campus experiences an exciting period of growth. Between 2001 and 2009, the University will undergo $500 million in new capital projects, with another $500 million in deferred maintenance projects to be undertaken before 2010. The new Vice-President (Facilities and Operations) gives the University a more effective structure that will improve efficiency during this time of growth.

For more information, please refer to the website of the Vice-President (Facilities and Operations).